International

Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK team en route to Antarctica for South Pole race

British television presenter Ben Fogle and UK Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell are due to arrive in Antarctica ahead of a gruelling South Pole race. Cracknell, 36, Fogle, 35, and 28-year-old Dr Ed Coats - who beat 650 applicants for his place on the team - will spend the next fortnight acclimatising to the harsh weather and terrain.
Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Oil price collapses in spite of promises of further supply cuts

OPEC will continue to cut crude production until prices stabilize said the cartel's president Chakib Jelil on Friday during a conference of oil producing and consuming countries in London.
Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
OPEC asks “confused” PM Brown to also look at high oil taxes

Oil producers rounded on UK PM Gordon Brown on Friday for complaining about prices while raking in huge fuel taxes. A senior OPEC figure branded the Prime Minister “confused” for demanding the cartel maintained output levels to control prices rather than reducing domestic duty.
Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Global contraction in 2009, first time in decades says IIF

The global economy likely will contract next year for the first time in decades as the credit crunch bites, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), a Washington-based association representing more than 375 of the world's major banks and financial institutions.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Oil hovers near $40 despite record OPEC cut

U.S. crude hovered near $40 a barrel on Thursday, around its lowest price since July 2004, amid doubts in OPEC's ability to curb output quickly after the group announced record production cuts.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
RN new Type 45 destroyer undergoes successful sea trials

The Royal Navy's first-of-class of the new Type 45 Destroyers HMS Daring has now completed a range of stringent trials and tests and is due to sail to her home port of Portsmouth in January 2009. The 7,500-ton ship is scheduled to undertake several months more of exhaustive trials and training before she is declared ready for operational service.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU begins annual round of fish quotas and discards

European Union fisheries ministers have begun an annual round of talks to decide the quantities of fish which can be caught from Europe's seas in 2009. The ministers, under pressure from environmentalists, are considering changes that could limit discards - the practice of throwing fish overboard.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK warning of deadlier mad cow disease strain

The United Kingdom Government's chief adviser on the human form of mad cow disease has warned of a possible new wave of the illness that could kill as many as 350 people in the UK.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Rescue plan discussions for British icons Jaguar-Land Rover

British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover is in discussions with the government over a state bail out, Peter Mandelson has announced.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Gibraltar celebrates EU tax case victory with public holiday

Gibraltar Government hailed on Thursday the comprehensive victory in the European Union tax case “as huge for Gibraltar, economically, socially, politically and constitutionally”.